r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/Turnoversleepy • Oct 01 '22 • 2

Horse Diving Sport in 1923 Video

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u/PathRepresentative77 Oct 01 '22

...why?

Also, how do you even train a horse to do that?

40

u/jbcraigs Oct 01 '22

And how was the jump scored? What would be considered a good or a bad jump?

57

u/TheBoondoggleSaints Oct 01 '22

I don’t think these were diving competitions. I believe they were part of a traveling Wild West show. Supposedly the horses were never forced to jump but I’m sure they were mostly always strongly encouraged to. I don’t quite understand what the draw is to watching a horse and rider jump into a pool of water but it must have been popular enough at the time to warrant making it part of the show.

5

u/Apeiro_phobiac Oct 02 '22

I will say this, yes you can force a horse to jump. But in my experience, you are more than likely going to be thrown off that horse before it will ever jump. Even the best trained horse in the world won’t do something if they don’t feel it is safe. So I’m willing to believe that the horses enjoyed this to an extent. I of course could be wrong, so please don’t come at me. I’m just talking from personal experience with many different horses at varying points in training.

7

u/yourmomwasmyfirst Oct 01 '22 •

It's pretty fuckin cool, that's the draw.

8

u/TheBoondoggleSaints Oct 01 '22

I guess it must have been cool enough that it continued into the late 70’s.

1

u/Uruz2012gotdeleted Oct 02 '22

The draw is danger. Like barn burners and jumping heavy cruising motorcycles over long rows of cars.

1

u/Fink665 Oct 02 '22

It was an attraction

1

u/Ritzie_Smitzie Oct 02 '22

Didn't they blindfold the horses so they had to go by feel or something. Because I don't think willingly just jump off cliff.

13

u/Which-Pain-1779 Oct 02 '22

This was a show at the Atlantic City Steel Pier for many years. It was never a competition.

1

u/tbnyedf7 Oct 02 '22

Saw it many times there in the 60’s.

1

u/DasbootTX Oct 02 '22

This is what I’ve always heard

1

u/Shel_gold17 Oct 02 '22

I think if you and the horse live through it it’s 10/10.

1

u/Bobisnotmybrother Oct 02 '22

Wasn’t a sport, more of a spectacle.

1

u/Bellbivdavoe Oct 03 '22

Looks to be more of a stunt that a sport. 🤔